Improvement in billiard-tables



the frame.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ISAAC N. SWASEY, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BILLIARD-TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 110,306, datedDecember 20, 1870.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IsAAc N. SwAsEY, ofYonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Table-Tops;and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,forming part of this speeilication.

rlhe object of this invention is to secure the tops of billiard andother tables and other wood surfaces in such a manner that they shall beprevented from warping, windin g, and twisting from atmospheric changesof moisture or temperature or from other causes; and it consists insecuring the top, by means of saddles, to Jthe cross-rails or ribs of abeveled frame in such a way that the top, in swelling or shrinking, willcarry the saddles slightly along the rails or ribs without disturbingthe level of The top itself being fixed to the saddles only, or to thesaddles and (along the line of its grain) to the middle or one edge, orany other part of the frame, and kept in close apposition to the frameby the saddles pressing upon the rails or ribs-with or without wedges,rollers, or other means of closer ooaptation-remains unalterably uponthe level of the framing, which, being properly constructed, therebyprevents the warping and twisting of the top, as will be hereinaftermore fully described.

1n the accompanying drawing, Figure I represents a View of the underside of the table top, showing the frame and the mode of securing thetop. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of Fig. l on the line a: a'.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is a border-frame, upon the top of which the top of the table rests. Bis the top. C is a central rail, which runs with the grain of the woodof the table-top, to which the top is fastened by the angle-blocks D bygluing or otherwise. E represents diagonal rails, radiating from thecenter of the table and fitting into the angles of the frame, as seen inthe drawing. F represents the cross-rails or ribs,

more or less in number. The rails are all fastened to the frame A, andfastened together by means of angle-blocks or otherwise.

G represents the saddles, which are glued or otherwise made fast to thetable-top. Each saddle is recessed on its face side, so as to receivethe cross-rail, and they are placed at an angle with the grain ofthe topand cross-rails, so as to cover more space (or rather more grains ofwood) in the width of the top than they would if they were placedparallel with the grain.

The upper edges of all the rails, as well as the upper edge of theframe, are designed to be on a true plane. This being the case, and thetop being workedto a uniform thickness and laid upon the frame, will, ifkept in position, also be a true plane.

As before stated, the top is attached to the central rail, C, but it isconlined nowhere else, so that it is at liberty to shrink and swell fromthe center each way. The saddles, of course, move with the top, but theyslide on the crossrails or ribs.

To prevent any possible vertical play or tendency in the top to warp ortwist, small keys or wedges H may be placed in the recesses on the railsor ribs, and glued to the saddles and covered with black lead toovercome friction. By this means the table-top is kept to the face oftheframe and rails, and not allowed to twist or warp, although it mayshrink and swell from changes in the atmosphere or other causes.

This improvement is adapted for billiardtable tops, platforlns,ball-alleys, or for any purpose where a true surface or bed of wood isrequired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent The frame A, top B, cross-rails F, and saddles G,combined as described, to prevent warping, winding, and twisting fromheat and moisture.

ISAAC N. SWASEY.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. MABEE, JAMES T. GRAHAM.

